Book Reviews & Thoughts

The Way to Game the Walk of Shame – Jenn P. Nguyen

Synopsis

Taylor Simmons is screwed.

Things were hard enough when her single-minded dedication to her studies earned her the reputation of being an Ice Queen, but after getting drunk at a party and waking up next to bad boy surfer Evan McKinley, the entire school seems intent on tearing Taylor down with mockery and gossip.

Desperate to salvage her reputation, Taylor persuades Evan to pretend they’re in a serious romantic relationship. After all, it’s better to be the girl who tames the wild surfer than just another notch on his surfboard.

Review

This book had its cute moments, but it was very… average. Typical. Nothing special, really. I didn’t feel particularly connected to the characters. The main conflict was communication-based, and those almost always turn me off. Just talk to each other! Stop self-destructing! Don’t be a martyr!

I had issues with Taylor, our protagonist. She was such a hypocrite, and always assumed the worst of Evan. I find it hard to understand why he would keep trying with her. And what if she didn’t get into Columbia? THEN WHAT? I hoped to see some more character growth beyond her opinions on relationships.

I’m glad that the romance here was gradual. All too often, we fall into an insta-love situation. Although this book started off with some insta-hate, at least that thawed over time. I liked how long it took them to realize that they actually wanted to be together!

For the most part though, this book had a few too many clichés and some flat (or annoying) characters that detracted from the good parts.